Disclaimer: I received a pair of Under Armour Horizon RTT Trail Shoes to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review find and write race reviews!

First Impression: First things first, isn’t the Marlin Blue color beautiful?! They feel light; they look rugged. They look hella cute, too (let’s be honest).

My former trail shoes have felt really tight in the toebox, so I was ready to try out some new pairs. I feel like I have plenty more room in the UA Horizon — and I don’t need to lock down my heels. I feel like I even have a little room for the inevitable foot swell during my ultra running.

Total side note: Can I say how much I love the product pages Q&A on the UA website? There’s SO MUCH EXTRA INFO there, and I really value their honest answers and transparency about products that are a match — or suggesting products that might be better. A reviewer even recommended the Horizon as a great golf shoe!

First Test Run: My first test run came with some elevation fun on Brown’s Woods dirt trails here in Des Moines (all things relative, of course; but depending on which way you take the loop, you have at least one mile of slow climb). My feet were already wrecked from my 10-mile road run the previous day and I was feeling some heel soreness on my left foot, but the cushion on these shoes really comforted my feet. Come to find out the Charged Cushioning puck in the heel helped me out!

They also feel really, REALLY good on my high arches. Within the first 10 minutes, I also was able to feel the strength of the shoe tip, as I kicked a stump and nearly took a tumble (it felt like the longest almost-fall ever).

Second Test Run: There was a little mud at the trailhead, first bit of the route at Grandview Park, but the Horizon PTT took that mud like a champ. It didn’t feel slippy at all — even on the grass — and the caked up bits easily came out when I stamped them on the ground. This dirt trail run had a few little hills, and I’m liking the control and grip on the ground.

Third Test Run: The ultimate test — Center Trails! Well, ultimate for the Des Moines-area trails, at least. Center always kicks my butt, and I really, REALLY like how these shoes respond on the hills. As I’m running, I’m really paying attention to how comfortable they are, particularly on the downhills. I don’t experience any heel slippage (and I don’t have the laces locked down as I do in my road shoes) or movement in the shoe; and the tongue doesn’t budge or bother me at all when I’m laced up. On this route, I had to do a bit of concrete trail between trail entry-points (and to round out my mileage at the end), and they didn’t feel at all slick or heavy. Wet conditions would probably be a different story.

Lasting impression: For all the things I’ve expressed to love, I’m a bit apprehensive about the shoe not having a rock plate — and how these will perform, and how they’ll make my feet feel, on longer distances. Will it matter? Won’t know until I get some double-digits runs out there on the trails in a few weeks. Maybe it won’t. Would love to know others’ experiences on longer distances. That said, these have become my “go to” pair when I’m out running trails.

Every time I’ve worn these, someone has “oooh’d” over them or asked me about the shoes — they really stand out! The Under Armour Horizon RTT come in 5 colors and retail for $109.99.

BONUS: Did you know that UA has its own Mountain Running Series?
Save the dates for Copper Mountain coming up on SEPT 9. Use code “BIBRAVE40” for 40% off registration.